Kraemer Middle School receives national recognition for successful school wide AVID strategies

Kraemer Middle School in Placentia has been selected as a National Demonstration School by AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a nonprofit organization that provides educators with proven, real-world strategies to accelerate the performance of all students so they have the tools to succeed in college, career, and life.

The school joins approximately 150 other AVID National Demonstration Schools and was selected through an application process, screening, coaching, and review, which included a site visit on Tuesday, May 21. AVID is implemented in over 5,600 schools across the nation, meaning that less than 3% of AVID schools earn the distinction of AVID National Demonstration School.

Keith Carmona, Kraemer Middle School’s principal, is thrilled that the school was chosen as an AVID National Demonstration School, noting the tremendous impact of the program on students and staff.

“This distinction represents the collective commitment that our staff makes in ensuring that all students from all backgrounds are provided with top-notch classroom instruction, a positive and connected campus culture, and an opportunity to use AVID as a trajectory-changing program for kids’ lives,” Carmona noted. “Being a National Demonstration School is a very big deal.”

The recognition of being an AVID National Demonstration School was established in 1993. As part of the AVID Demonstration Sites Network, sites are expected to develop a model program with school wide participation. With AVID’s proven methodologies used throughout subject-area classes, performance levels improve for all students, but especially for those students who are the least likely to attend four-year colleges. Schools from around the world that are preparing to implement the AVID System will visit Demonstration Schools, such as Kraemer, to observe a highly evolved AVID System.

Kraemer joins two other Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) campuses in earning the AVID National Demonstration/Showcase School distinction – Valencia High School and Ruby Drive Elementary School. Valencia received this matching honor in May 2017, while Ruby Drive earned it in May 2018.

Remarkably, the three schools matriculate into one another, creating California’s first ever elementary through high school AVID National Demonstration School feeder pattern. As a result, PYLUSD students now have the opportunity to benefit from AVID’s finest school wide strategies in all grades beginning with transitional kindergarten at Ruby Drive through middle school at Kraemer and twelfth grade at Valencia.

As of 2019, eighteen schools in PYLUSD, including nine elementary sites and nine secondary sites, have implemented AVID.